Rand: Reason for Twins fans to pay attention to the World Series

If you have been paying attention to the baseball playoffs, good for you. Drama, excitement and the complete failure of the Yankees have been your rewards. If you haven't been paying attention, shame on you. But: there is time for salvation. The World Series starts Wednesday. If you are a Twins fan, the baseball season technically ended about three weeks ago. In practical terms, it ended several months ago. As such, if you're a Twins fan, you might be wondering: What could the World Series possibly have to offer me? The answer: plenty. And if you are going to watch, here is a handy guide To help you decide whether to root for the Tigers or Giants.

• Ex-Twins factor: Each team has one of them, and neither left the Twins in a blaze of glory. The Tigers feature Delmon Young -- the 2012 ALCS MVP. Did you know Young is already the Tigers' all-time franchise leader in postseason home runs (seven), which equals the number the Twins have in their last three playoff series? Sorry if you just threw up in your mouth. Jose Mijares, the unpredictable former Twins lefty reliever, hurls out of the Giants pen. These two players are notable for a 2009 dustup ... when both were with the Twins. Mijares threw at a Tigers player, and when Young was plunked his next time up he gestured angrily -- at Mijares. Ah, Twins lore. In any event, if we had to guess, you don't want to root for Young if you are a Twins fan since he was one of the many symbols of what went wrong in 2011. Advantage: Giants.

• Evil-doing? That is to say, has either of these franchises done particular harm to the Twins? Well, the Twins franchise (including time as the Senators) are 979-1,065 all-time against the Tigers. But Detroit did play along nicely by losing to the Twins in five games in the 1987 ALCS and being on the wrong end of the greatest game we have seen in person (2009, Game 163). The Twins have only played the Giants nine times in the regular season, but San Francisco did give up Francisco Liriano, Joe Nathan and Boof Bonser in the A.J. Pierzynski trade. Advantage: Tigers.

• Ballpark factor: With apologies to Target Field (a top three ballpark), San Francisco plays in the best park in the majors. Detroit's is nice, but not even close. Advantage: Giants.

• Tiebreaker: Some people think you should root for a team in your division (the Tigers) so it proves your division was the best in baseball. If these same people somehow root for the Packers in the Super Bowl, they are not welcome at our house. Overall advantage: Giants.